Tripod



sept. 7,1926. 1,598,943

J. TESSIER TRIPOD Filed June 29, 1923 lllrlllmwlllllllllll `Patented Sept. 1926.Y

lUNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

JULIEN graphic cameras.

TESSIER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, .'ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COM- PANY, OF ROCHESTER, NFV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRIroD.

Applicatipu filed .Tune 29, 1923. Serial No. 648,567.

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to supports for photoprovide a strongtripod which is convenient to assemble' andto disassemble;t o provide a quick-acting tripod leg engaging mechanism on the head; and other objects will appear from the following specification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the' claims at the end thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a "tripod (parts being broken away) constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodi-I ment of my invention; 1

Fig. 1A is a persepective Viewv showing a typicalcamera bottom having ribs adapted to engage in grooves included in the pre-l ferred form of my tripod head.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the. tripod head; i Fig. v3 is a bottom plan View 4with the bolts removed;

F ig. 4 is asection on line4-4, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail section through a portion of a tripod leg and a holding bolt.

This tripod 's particularly adapted for use withV motion picture cameras which are usually relatively heavyV and must be held rigidly against vibration in use.

The tripod head consists of a 'top' 1 which may be swung about the pivot 2 supported by the lugs 3 of the turntable 4. rFable-4 is mounted so as to lbe 'rotatable upon the base 5 which is supported by the'legs 6.

To compensate for Very heavy cameras, and also to permit relatively light tension between thetop 1 andtable 4, springs 25 may be added. Each spring is ofthe same shape, best 'shownin Fig. 3, and isv attached to top 1 yby two screws 26, so that the tip 27 of the spring rests upon the upper surface 28 of the turntable 4. When the top is tilted either'way about bolt 2, in the direc- 'tion shown by arrows, Fig. 1, obviously one spring or theother will'be placed under tension, the tensionincreasing as top 1l moves.

from a horizontal position. The springs also materially vassist in returning the camera to the normal horizontal position. Where lightweight cameras are to be used these springs may vbe omitted.

Since thel legs are generally separated from the tripod head when not in use, I pro-- vide the Vfollowing'quickacting bolt mechanism: The casting 5 has a series of ears 45 It has for its object toc when locked in an operative position.

Aend 53 of the guideway forms a stop for the `pin when the bolt is thrust toward it by the spring 54. The groove, of course, prevents bolt 49 from turning so that Wing nut 55 can be convenientlymanipulated.

One end of bolt 49 is threaded to receive Wingnut 55, and the other end carries a flat head 56. Each end of bolt 49 is grooved at 57, one. edge 58 of the groove being inclined. As shown in Fig. 5 the tripod leg ferrule 59 is slotted at 60 with a slot wider than thegrooved portion 57 ofvbolt 49, butv narrower than the largest diameter of the bolt. At the base of this slot there is an aperture 6l adapted to receive the large diameter of bolt 49 being seated at part 89 Theslots 60.011 the. ends of the tripod legs permit them to b e quickly thrust over the grooved sections 57 of the bolt and then by turning wing nut the tapered edges 58 quickly vof bolt 49 and are'then fastened in this operative position. lVhen nut 55 is loosened, spring 54 thrusts the bolt into a position from which the tripod legs can be drawn fromthe grooved portions 57 of the bolt.

If desired a .handle H attached toa rod R which terminates in a threaded 'portion fr mayy bescrewedinto Vsocket of top l to facilitate moving the top about pivot 2 or on "table 5.. Y

In the top 1 there is an aperture 101 through which the usual tripod nut passes, being on the end of shaft 102 which may be tu-rned by the handle 103.

-The top l is grooved at 104 and 105 and is countersunk at 106, these grooves and this countersunk portion being for the following purposes: First, for the tilting movement about the horizontal axis 2 to be effective it must be.V at right angles to the axis of the camera' lens, so thatone groove 104 is to engage a ribM of a camera which rib is'parallel with the lens axis. The other groove 105 is at right angles thereto and engages a rib N onthe camera C, (Fig. 1A). Sec-- ond, the-camera is held'against turning by the ribs and grooves so that it can be easily placed on the tripod. And thirdly, the

countersunk portion 106 by engaging av corresponding protuberance O on the camera quickly and accurately locates the tripod nut P in alignment with the opening 101 through which the nut on shaft 102 passes when the camera is attached to the tripod.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the tripod without departing from my invention, and I contemplate as within the scope of my invention all such changes,

supporting the ends of the leg as come within the terms of the following' claims.

Having thus described my invention,`what I claim as new and desire secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tripod, the combination with a base, of means forsupporting a leg thereon including a slidably mounted bolt, means preventing the bolt from turning, the bolt having portions'of reduced diameter adapted to receive the forked ends of a tripod leg, and a wing nut carried by the bolt by which Athe bolt can be slid u'pon the mount moving having a portion of reduced area, a spring Y normally moving this portion into an opera- -tive position in which it may receive the forked end of a tripod leg, and a nut mounted on the bolt for moving the bolt against the spring action into a locking position in whichVt-he reduced area of the bolt is out of alignment with the forked end of tripod leg, and in which the end of the leg may be tightly secured to the head.

3. In a tripod, the combination with a base,l of a leg-attaching mechanism therefor including a slidable bolt mounted upon the base, a tripod leg adapted to be secured to the base by the bolt, means for moving the turning the means for receivingthe forked y end of the tripod leg to an initial receiving position when the locking means is released.

5. In a tripod, the combination with a base, of a leg-supporting structure thereon including a bearing on the base, a guideway on the b ase, a bolt slidable inthe bearing and having a projection extending'into the guideway to prevent the bolt from turning in the bearing, and a wing nut adapted to move the bolt longitudinally of the bearing.

6. In a tripod, the combination with a base, of a leg-supporting structure thereon including a bearing on the base, a g'uideway on the base, a bolt slidable in the bearing and having a projection extending into the guidevvay to prevent 4the bolt from turning in the bearing, a spring between the pro- -tuberance Aand the bearing tending to move the boli'l in one direction, anda nutfor moving the bolt against the action of the spring. '7. In a tripod, the combination with a base, of a leg-supporting structure included thereon including a bearing on thebase, a guideway on the base, an end wall to the guideway, a bolt slidable-in the bearing and having a protuberance engaging the guideway, a spring tending to move the bolt until the protuberance engages the end wall of the guideway, and means for moving the bolt against the spring.

day of J une1923.

JULIEN TESSIER.

` Signed at Rochester, New York, this 25th 

